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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23464387">Farewell Wanderlust</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/wcnderluster/pseuds/wcnderluster'>wcnderluster</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Fae! Jaskier, M/M, dark! jaskier</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 16:07:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,124</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23464387</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/wcnderluster/pseuds/wcnderluster</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After being left on the mountain, fae!jaskier goes dark. Geralt is contracted to take out the dark fae tormenting the village, unbeknownst to him that it is his old friend. </p>
<p>gore, death,</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>209</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Farewell Wanderlust</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>completely inspired by the song farewell wanderlust by amazing devil https://theamazingdevil.bandcamp.com/track/farewell-wanderlust</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Soft music, far too sickly sweet, tinkled through the leaves in the forest. A metaphorical path for the Witcher to follow, brandishing his silver sword, a simple iron net flung over his shoulder. He was hunting a faerie, and from the tales of the townsfolk, this one was perhaps one of the darkest he had ever come across. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The music got louder as he grew closer, he didn’t think it was possible for a forest to reek of death but this place did, and the sickening scent only heightened as he broke through the trees into a clearing. </span>
  <span>Geralt</span>
  <span> didn’t know where to look first.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Where a </span>
  <span>fae</span>
  <span> circle of mushrooms would be, were twisted branches sprouting from the ground, dark, thorny and stained with the blood of the bodies impaled on the sharp points. It was a grotesque artwork of wood and blood, but that wasn’t what caught his eye. Amidst the bodies was the </span>
  <span>fae</span>
  <span>, blood discolouring what would have once been a flowing and light tunic. The fae’s fingers were twisted, with sharp claw like nails that plucked, no, scratched at the lute strings. These too were caked in entrails. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>And those </span>
  <span>( <em>wings</em></span>
  <span> ). </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The </span>
  <span>Witcher</span>
  <span> had never seen wings like them. He was used to faerie wings that sparkled in the light but these were dull and dark, the sunlight no longer shone through them. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>What could do this to a fae? He should wonder. But he knew the answer. He did. He had darkened this fae for he found himself staring at the face of his once companion, </span>
  <span>Jaskier</span>
  <span>. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The </span>
  <span>fae</span>
  <span> stopped playing at the intrusion, the lute tossed to the side with little care. He rose up, wings casting a shadow over the white-haired one as </span>
  <span>Jaskier</span>
  <span> flew closer. He landed in front of </span>
  <span>Geralt</span>
  <span>, eyes dark. That spark that had always lit them, the spark </span>
  <span>Geralt</span>
  <span> had grown so fond of was gone. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hello, </span>
  <span>Geralt</span>
  <span>— come to stop me?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Geralt</span>
  <span> wanted to say that </span>
  <span>Jaskier’s</span>
  <span> voice hadn’t changed but that was a lie. It no longer had that melodic lilt, it was rasping, and hoarse, drowned out by the blood that tainted the fae’s lips. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You-- you did all this?” he asked, unable to match the fae he had once known to the death and destruction that surrounded them. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No </span>
  <span>Geralt</span>
  <span>. You did this. You brought me to this darkness, my dear </span>
  <span>Geralt</span>
  <span>, and you left me here.” His voice was accusing, it deafened Geralt. “And now you get to end it. I assume you know how to kill a fae? Really kill them? You have to rip their heart out, dear Witcher. Good luck with that. You've already taken mine.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The </span>
  <span>fae</span>
  <span> turns on his heel, feet barely brushing the blemished grass as he returned to his lute. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Geralt</span>
  <span> gripped the iron net on his shoulder, he had to right this wrong he had caused. He took another step into the circle, eyes following the </span>
  <span>fae</span>
  <span>. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t let you keep doing this </span>
  <span>Jaskier</span>
  <span>, I can't let you terrorise the village. But if you work with me, we can fix this--” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>the </span>
  <span>fae</span>
  <span> turned quickly, eyes ablaze with a darkness </span>
  <span>Geralt</span>
  <span> had never seen before. There was a snarl on those bloodstained lips, showing the faerie’s sharp teeth.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fix it?” Even his voice had a snarl to it. “Oh, you foolish Witcher, I am not broken, and oh how I promise you there is more. So, kill me Witcher, or leave.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Geralt</span>
  <span> couldn’t think, how could </span>
  <span>Jaskier</span>
  <span> expect him to make a decision like that. But then, was the </span>
  <span>fae</span>
  <span> before him even </span>
  <span>Jaskier</span>
  <span> anymore. Was there any of the sweet bard he had known still in there. He made a choice, and chances are he’d never know if it was the right one or not. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He threw the iron net.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span> It wasn’t quick enough.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Where the </span>
  <span>fae</span>
  <span> had stood was now a tangle of branches, covered uselessly by the net. </span>
  <span>Jaskier</span>
  <span> himself was in the air, a cruel growl on his lips. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The faerie thrust both his arms forwards, the ground before the Witcher erupting with spear-like branches, that narrowly missed the base of Geralt’s throat. He'd been saved by his Witcher instincts. But the branches had succeeded in distracting him and before he knew it the </span>
  <span>fae</span>
  <span> was upon him, the collision forcing them both to the floor. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The silver of his sword glinted as it skittered out of his grasp. One handheld the </span>
  <span>fae</span>
  <span> back, the other reaching for it as he tried desperately to throw the creature off him. His fingers closed round the hilt as Jaskier’s clawed hand came down, aiming to rip his throat out. He slashed </span>
  <span>blindly,</span>
  <span> silver sword cutting deep into one of the </span>
  <span>fae’s</span>
  <span> wings. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>An animalistic cry left </span>
  <span>Jaskier</span>
  <span> as he rolled away, failing to fly into the air again. He stood, silhouetted in the sun, one wing so badly damaged it hung crookedly to the side. If the pain bothered the faerie, he didn’t show it. He paced back and forth, snarling and growling at the Witcher. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He launched again, hand slashing at the Witcher’s chest this time. </span>
  <span>Geralt</span>
  <span> barely had a second to react. His own hand wrapped around Jaskier’s wrist, pulling him, twisting him off balance. The </span>
  <span>fae’s</span>
  <span> body turned and </span>
  <span>Geralt</span>
  <span> thrust the silver sword through his chest. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaskier</span>
  <span> spluttered as </span>
  <span>Geralt</span>
  <span> pulled his sword out. He stumbled forwards a few steps, turning back to </span>
  <span>Geralt</span>
  <span> with a shocked, pained, t e r </span>
  <span>r</span>
  
  <span>i</span>
  <span> f </span>
  <span>i</span>
  <span> e d look written over his darkened featured. His hands held his chest, blood spilling onto them as his legs gave way. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Geralt</span>
  <span> caught the falling </span>
  <span>fae</span>
  <span>, dropping his sword to the side and, holding him in his arms. Blood bubbled out of </span>
  <span>Jaskier’s</span>
  <span> lips as he coughed, dripping down his chin. He looked fragile, bleeding, sobbing, dying in Geralt’s arms. The sun shone down on them, </span>
  <span>Jaskier’s</span>
  <span> brown locks looking molten in the sunlight. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The fae’s mouth opened, perhaps he was going to say something, some last words, a last melody, but all that fell from his lips was dark blood. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>And there was only one thing left to do. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Geralt’</span>
  <span>s hand plunged into the wound on Jaskier’s chest.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>His fingers curled around the heart that was beating so impossibly fast to just stay alive. The fae’s eyes widened as he spluttered and coughed, and </span>
  <span>Geralt</span>
  <span> ripped the heart from his chest. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>For a moment, for one terrible moment, the </span>
  <span>fae</span>
  <span> in his arms looked like the one he had known. The darkness retreated from those soft eyes; his wings seem to gain one last sparkle as they twitched uselessly. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>For one terrible moment, </span>
  <span>Geralt</span>
  <span> regretted </span>
  <span>everything</span>
  <span>. </span>
  
</p>
<p> <span>And that terrible moment, would last forever. </span></p>
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